Articles

techcrunch.com
—
Google has created a new Easter Egg for Google Maps (pretty much just in time for actual Easter) which lets you play Pac-Man in real-world locales on the company's Maps apps for desktop and mobie devices.

techcrunch.com
—
Amazon has new hardware called the Dash Button that allows one-press ordering of products you're likely to want to replace on a regular basis. The Dash Button comes in a number of different branded versions based on what it's coded to order, and includes an adhesive backing and hook holster to let you stick it where it's most convenient.

techcrunch.com
—
The Alcatel OneTouch Watch, which got its debut at CES this year, is officially going on sale today with pre-orders starting at $149.99 directly from the company's U.S. website. The smartwatch is unique among those from larger OEMs in that it works with both iOS and Android smartphones, packing in support for health monitoring features, phone notifications and music controls on both kinds of devices.

techcrunch.com
—
Google has begun showing photos uploaded via Google+ in Google Drive, where they can be managed via a new Google Photos tab, or stored in folders alongside other kinds of files easily. The inclusion of Photos and Videos in Drive is one sign that Google is moving to part out the Google+ social network into its key components, and is good news for mobile photographers.

techcrunch.com
—
Tesla will introduce a new product line separate from cars on Thursday, April 30 at 9 PM PT according to founder and CEO Elon Musk. The executive tweeted the news from his account on Monday, but so far has shared no other details bout what might be in the works.

techcrunch.com
—
Apple has expanded its trade-in program, which offers credit towards new device purchases in exchange for older hardware, to non-Apple smartphones and PCs (via 9to5Mac). News of the program expansion comes from changed language on Apple Store pages describing the reuse and recycle initiative on Apple's U.S., UK and some other European store sites.

techcrunch.com
—
After being rebuffed by U.S. regulator reticence, Amazon is now engaged in testing its drone delivery services in British Columbia, just north of the U.S. border in Canada, on a piece of land dotted with oak trees and firs, the Guardian reports.

techcrunch.com
—
Amazon has officially introduced Amazon Home Services, as TechCrunch reported it would last week, the marketplace for professional services including things like TV installation, house cleaning, waiting, plumbing, electrical work and more. The home services category originally soft-launched in limited beta last year, before going wide today with 700 different services on tap, and availability in 41 U.S.

techcrunch.com
—
Pebble went back to crowdfunding site Kickstarter to help fund the Pebble Time, its second major hardware iteration. The company likely could've gone with a more traditional product launch, with a brief pre-order window or direct to market availability, but the campaign did break Kickstarter's all-time records, netting over $20 million ($20,338,986 to be exact) from 78,741 backers, which is newsworthy over and above the actual product it's selling.